Apex court stays HC order on gangrape case evidence

The Supreme Court on Friday stayed a Delhi High Court order allowing the plea of the December 16 gang rape accused to use a CD containing the interview of the victim’s male friend given to a news channel as evidence during the trial.

A bench headed by Chief Justice of India Altamas Kabir stayed the March 7 order after Delhi Police submitted that the TV interview was not admissible as evidence.

Reversing a trial court order, the high court had allowed the plea of accused Ram Singh, who allegedly committed suicide in Tihar jail earlier this month, and his brother Mukesh. The trial court had said the accused were not allowed to exhibit the CD of the interview telecast on January 4 as a piece of evidence.

The top court also issued notices to the accused on the police plea.

The 23-year-old victim, a student, was brutally gang-raped and assaulted on a bus in south Delhi on December 16. She was taken to Singapore where she died on December 29.

Ram Singh’s brother Mukesh, Pawan Gupta, Vinay Sharma and Akshay Singh are the adult accused facing trial. The sixth accused, who has been declared as a juvenile, is facing trial before the Juvenile Justice Board.